ESSAY VIII. 215 but in one single text of scripture, or expressed but darkly, I should reasonably conclude the great God never designed that doctrine, or that duty to be of very great importance in the chris- tian life : For a dark expression is much more easily mistaken, as to the true sense of it ; and a single text is more liable to be miscopied, or dropped by a transcriber, or be misconstrued by a translator, or overseen and neglected by a common reader or hearer; and the great God would not put matters of high importance on so doubtful and dangerous a foot, and leave things necessary at such uncertainties, lest honest and humble enquirers should, after all their pains, mistake their way to heaven. A sudden thought of the form and order of baptism, prescribed to us ; Mat.. xxviii. 18. made me at first suspect, that there must be one exception made to this rule, about the frequent repetition of any doctrine or duty necessary to salva- tion ; but upon a further consideration and review of things it appears evident to' me now, that though this appointment of .the form of baptism was prescribed to be done in the name of the Holy Spirit, as well as of the Father and the Son, yet it was by no means necessary to the salvation of any man, and therefore therewas no necessity of having it often repeated. Let us consider, I. That the appointment of it is bet once expressed, and that by one holy writer, and there is never an actual example or in- stance of this complete form of baptism practised in any place of scripture. Observe that remarkable text, Acts xix. 2. where St. Paul enquired of the young converts that were baptized at Ephesus, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed ? and they said unto him, we have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. He then enquired, unto what were ye bap- tized ? and theÿ said unto John's baptism ; and Paul had told them that Jahn taught them, that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus: when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Whether they were baptized in the name of the Holy Spirit, or no, is not actually expressed ; which is somethingstrange, when that was the chief point of enquiry concerning their baptism into the Holy Ghost. Here also it may be observed, that those who were here baptized; Acts xix. 5, 6. immediately received the Holy Ghost ; whence it may be very probably inferred, that some persons were baptized with the Holy Ghost itself, who were not actually baptized into thename of the Holy Ghost. Consider, IL When the business of baptism is mentioned in several places in the epistles, it is generally declared that baptism was performed in the name of the Lord Jesus; Rom. vi. 3. a so many of you as were baptised into Jesus Christ were baptised into hip
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=